Examines how the social norms of the Gilded Age and the decrease in Indian activity shaped life at Fort Assinniboine as a Victorian-era bastion of "civilization" in the Montana Territory. Established in 1879 and completed in 1881, the fort embodied late-19th-century views of respectability, race, and civilized living. As the need for military campaigns against Indians in the area decreased during the 1880's, the increased stability of the region allowed the personnel stationed at the post to turn their efforts toward such pursuits as plays, music, dancing, fishing, hunting, and, in winter months, billiards and bowling. Officers' wives, the only female presence at the fort, were important in contributing to a civil atmosphere on the base, and often were the architects of social gatherings and beautification of the post. Still, the long periods of inactivity and harsh winters contributed to boredom, illness, drunkenness, and desertions.